This was an NBA playoffs rematch in name only.
Just shy of one year after the Knicks and 76ers met in the first of six hotly contested games during a first-round series, the opposite directions the two franchises are heading was on full display Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Even without injured All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks easily disposed of the spiraling 76ers, winning 105-91 behind OG Anunoby’s team-high 27 points.
Anunoby, who scored 11 at the free-throw line, put the exclamation point on the victory with nine minutes remaining, when he drove the lane and threw down a thunderous one-handed dunk over Lonnie Walker IV.
The forcefulness of Anunoby’s drive plus Walker’s foul meant that he needed to swing on the rim before completing the three-point play at the line, pushing the Knicks’ lead to 90-74. Anunoby was treated to a nice ovation when he subbed out with five minutes left.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Lonnie Walker IV and New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby fight for a loose ball during the third quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Anunoby’s explosion was no surprise to 76ers coach Nick Nurse, who was on the bench for Anunoby’s first six seasons in the NBA with the Raptors.
“I think he’s always felt he could score more and get more chances on offense and things like that,” Nurse said beforehand. “It just has to be at the right time, right place, right situation. He finds himself in a situation where they need him to score more. I’ve seen some of the game film and he’s played great. I think with Jalen out, some more of the focus shifts to KAT, and then [Anunoby has made] people really pay for that.”
Tuesday’s version of the 76ers was a poor imitation of the supposed title contender that the Knicks out-toughed last spring.
OG Anunoby, who scored a game-high 27 points, rises up for a shot during the Knicks’ 105-91 win over the 76ers on April 1, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images
Only one of the 10 players who suited up during that series (veteran guard Kyle Lowry) played, with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr. and headline offseason acquisition Paul George sidelined by injuries for a team that already is eliminated from the playoff race.
Still, the 76ers twice cut their 17-point halftime deficit to five late in the third quarter, but Landry Shamet and Mikal Bridges answered with 3s in both instances.
Those 3s came from opposite corners and preceded another by Shamet that restored breathing room at 78-67.
Josh Hart is all smiles during the first quarter of the Knicks’ win. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Josh Hart finished the quarter by turning a defensive rebound into an uncontested coast-to-coast layup that spoke to his savviness.
Instead of going for a crowd-exciting dunk that might not have beaten the clock, Hart floated the ball through the net just before the perilous red light appeared on the backboard.
Shamet’s sharpshooting was an example of the Knicks B-listers outplaying their counterparts.
As Towns (left knee soreness) and Brunson (ankle) recover, Shamet scored 20 points on six 3s off the bench, and Delon Walker scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half as he capitalized on a temporary starting role because Deuce McBride and Cam Payne also are sidelined point-guard options.
Landry Shamet, who scored 20 points, shoots a jumper during the Knicks’ win over the 76ers. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The playoff-bound Knicks (48-27) scored nine of the first 10 points, led by as many as 11 in the first quarter, extended the lead to 59-42 by halftime and led wire-to-wire.
The fast start was courtesy of shooting 10-of-19 from the floor (5-of-12 from 3) and 10-of-10 at the free-throw line in the first quarter.
Playing on his 27th birthday, Mitchell Robinson set a new season high in scoring by halftime en route to a double-double (14 points, 14 rebounds).
Tyler Kolek, who had seven points and seven assists off the bench, defends Justin Edwards during the Knicks’ win over the 76ers. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Robinson hadn’t scored more than 13 points in any of his first 13 games since making a delayed season debut after undergoing offseason foot surgery.
He was injured during Game 4 of that physical series last season and only appeared in one game the next round against the Pacers before shutting it down.
The Knicks swept the four-game season series from the 76ers, who have dropped nine in a row and 12 out of 13 to fall to 23-53.
Former Knick Quentin Grimes, who scored a team-high 26 points for the 76ers, goes up for a shot as Mitchell Robinson defends. AP
Well-traveled former Knicks draft pick Quentin Grimes scored 26 points in his first return to the Garden with the 76ers.
